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KQRS-FM
92.5 HD-2 The Bear (Classic country) | format = Commercial; Classic rock | erp = 100,000 watts | haat = 315 meters | class = C | facility_id = 35505 | callsign_meaning = Q'uality '''R'adio 'S'tation | former_callsigns = KEVE-FM (1962-1963 KADM (1963-1964) | affiliations = | owner = Cumulus Media | licensee = Radio License Holding III, LLC | sister_stations = KXXR, WGVX/Y/Z | webcast = Listen Live! | website = 92kqrs.com }} '''KQRS-FM (92.5 FM, KQ92 or 92 KQRS) is one of the most popular radio stations in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, and primarily broadcasts a classic rock music format. The call letters stand for "Quality Radio Station." The station is owned by Cumulus Media, which owns other outlets in the area, including "93X" (KXXR) (93.7 FM), and "Love 105" (105.1, 105.3 and 105.7 FM). Its main transmitter is located on the KMSP-TV tower in Shoreview, Minnesota, with backup facilities atop the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. History The original call letters were KEVE-FM and the station was co-owned with sister AM station KEVE-AM. KEVE-AM's history predates the FM by 14 years; it launched in May, 1948 and was owned by Family Broadcasting until mid-1956 and was known until at least then as KEYD, co-owned with KEYD-TV 9 (now KMSP-TV and launched by Family Broadcasting in January, 1955). The KEYD Radio studios were located in downtown Minneapolis on 9th Street off of Hennepin Avenue practically next to the Orpheum Theater (see 1953 photo link below). Calls were changed to KADM to complement its AM sister (as in "Adam and Eve") in October 1963. On December 1, 1964, the call letters for both radio stations became KQRS and the two stations changed from country music to a classical music format. The KEVE-AM studios had, by 1957, moved to its transmitter site in Golden Valley at 917 Lilac Drive, set back from Minnesota State Highway 100. This location was the first studio and transmitter site for the station. The KQRS call sign stayed with the AM until 1982 when it switched to an oldies format as KGLD before returning to the simulcast and the KQRS calls less than two years later. In 1996 the AM was again split from the FM to become one of the first affiliates of Radio Disney, a format targeting children (see KDIZ). Both stations were owned by Disney at the time. In early 2001 KQRS and KDIZ (along with sister stations 93X and 105.1/105.3/105.7) moved to studios and offices at 2000 Elm Street SE in Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota campus. Initially, KQRS programmed a younger-leaning beautiful music/soft rock format. In addition to this format, Joe Pyne's talk radio show was carried. In the summer of 1968, KQRS started experimenting with freeform progressive rock in the late night hours. This became popular, and by the end of the year this became the primary format. By 1977, the freeform rock would give way to a tightly programmed rock approach, courtesy of radio consultants Burkhart/Abrams and their "Superstars" format, which was essentially just the hits from AOR. This approach continued into 1986, with respectable, if not spectacular ratings, when KQRS signed a new consultant, Jacobs Media and evolved into its present day classic rock-leaning approach. That, coupled with its massively popular morning show, elevated KQRS to the top of the ratings. KQRS has the distinction of unseating legendary area broadcaster WCCO (830 AM) from being the most-listend-to station in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market (12+), an achievement which WCCO had held unchallenged for decades. The KQ92 Morning Show hosted by Tom Barnard was a major element in KQ's ascendance to the top spot, along with shifting market demographics. Barnard and the KQ Morning Show also were successful in holding the top rating spot when Howard Stern made his debut on the Twin Cities airwaves in 1997. Stern lasted only until mid-1999 in Minneapolis as his ratings brought him to the number two position in morning drive time, but the station that carried the show, WRQC, had poor ratings during the rest of the day, leading to the dropping of Stern and a format change. Rival KXXR, then known as "93X", was purchased by then-owners Capital Cities-ABC in the Spring of 1994 and became an alternative rock station (KEGE, "The Edge"). It primarily competed with the growing "REV 105," though KQRS' owners purchased the three signals comprising it in 1997. The stations went through several incarnations, including heavy metal, Urban AC/"jammin' oldies" and for the majority of the time, alternative rock, prior to the current Soft AC/oldies format of "Love 105" which made its debut on May 8, 2007. With the three formats, Disney initially created what many in the industry refer to as the "wall of rock". It's easy to say that Disney dominated rock music in the Twin Cities, and used 93X and Drive 105/Zone 105 as 'flankers' to ward off competitors trying to knock off the company's cash cow KQRS. KQRS has been programmed by award-winning programming veteran (and former DJ) David Hamilton, for over 25 years. His airstaff has remained unusually consistent for years as well. Tom Barnard and Terri Pawelk ("Traen/Trainy") host the long-running morning show (with others such as Pioneer Press sports columnist Bob Sansevere, Mike "Stretch" Gelfand, Phillip Wise, Bryce, Brian Zepp, and KMSP-TV news personality Jeff Passolt), Wally Walker hosts middays; Lisa Miller hosts afternoon drive and is the imaging voice of the station; Ray Erick hosts evenings. In May 2005, KQRS began offering podcasts of the morning show through the station's website. On June 1, 2007, Citadel Broadcasting closed on its purchase of ABC Radio, acquiring KQRS 92.5. KDIZ, the former KQRS 1440, was retained by Disney. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. Pop culture In the 1996 Christmas-themed movie Jingle All the Way, the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger calls KQRS during a contest in an effort to win a rare toy doll for his child. He gets through and answers the question correctly but finds out that he only won a gift certificate. External links *KQRS official site *KQRS Streaming Audio *Radiotapes.com Historic Minneapolis/St. Paul airchecks dating back to 1924 including airchecks of KQRS and other Twin Cities radio stations *Rick Burnett's TwinCitiesRadioAirchecks.com Photos and historical recordings of KQ and other Twin Cities radio stations *KEYD-AM exterior photo, 1953, from The Minnesota Historical Society * References * * * * * * * Historical reference to KEYD-AM and TV, Pavek Museum Of Broadcasting * Broadcasting Yearbooks 1948-1964 * Internet Archive February 2, 2001 showing new station address Category:Radio stations in Minneapolis–Saint Paul Category:HD Radio stations Category:Cumulus Media radio stations Category:Classic rock radio stations in the United States Category:Radio stations established in 1962